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Janet Furman

How I can help you

After obtaining a degree in Electrical Engineering from Columbia, and a stint working for the Grateful Dead rock band, I launched my entrepreneurial career. The early days of my company, Furman Sound (furmansound.com), involved dreaming up a music industry product, developing a prototype, manufacturing it, and setting up wholesale sales and distribution. I did all this with very little savings as start-up capital. I ran Furman Sound for 25 years, building it into a widely recognized and respected brand name in the professional audio field. I then sold it and retired. At the time of the sale, I had about 75 employees, $10 million in annual sales, and 100 products. Along the way, I served as CEO, but also Director of Marketing - because I enjoyed marketing and knew I was good at it. For more on the story of my own business experience, please see my personal website at http://furmanhistory.com. My background makes me a good match for SCORE clients who are inventors or have a product idea that they would like to turn into a business. We have a lot in common and I’ll be able to give you a great deal of helpful advice. I can advise on domestic and overseas manufacturing, sourcing, wholesale sales and distribution, sales reps and commissions, trade shows, packaging, advertising and most other aspects of marketing. I have experience with Internet marketing and can review websites for clarity, image, and search engine optimization. I review business plans and can help you organize and prioritize the steps leading up to starting your own business. My counseling style is low key and informal. I don't have an agenda of my own. I recognize that there is more than one way to reach a goal. I don't insist that everyone I see write a conventional business plan. Some situations don't require one, or a much simplified plan may be sufficient. Instead, I listen to your needs and try to address them as quickly as possible in the time available. I also have experience in angel investing, and can help entrepreneurs determine if they are candidates, and how to prepare their presentations. In addition, I play guitar in a rock band and have a good general knowledge of the music industry. My interests and skills include: - Inventions - Manufacturing, domestic and outsourced - Wholesale sales - Trade shows and sales reps - Marketing materials - Internet and SEO (Search Engine Optimization) - Angel Investing - Trademarks - Music and Musical Instrument Industries - Vacation Rentals